


A Barter of Sorts

by xiushine



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Gen, M/M, like its really vague lol, the sexiu is hinted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 06:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15237855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiushine/pseuds/xiushine
Summary: Minseok makes some new friends and they show their affections with free drinks.(Or,The first time they meet, Sehun insults Minseok.)(Or,Jongin is cute in every universe.)





	A Barter of Sorts

 

Minseok trudges into the coffee shop in a daze. He's had an exhausting week and he figures if he can just get a good cup of coffee in his body, then his life might suck a little less.

Blessedly, there's hardly anyone in the cafe and Minseok is able to walk straight up to the counter without having to wait in line. Once stood in front of the cashier, his brain takes a few seconds to catch up and remember what his usual order is.

"One iced Americano," Minseok sighs monotonously. His eyes are downcast and tired, barely even looking at the guy taking his order.

"Wow you look like shit" the guy behind the counter says. When Minseok looks up, he's met with the most judgemental eyebrows he's ever laid eyes on.

"Um.." Minseok responds dumbly, too exhausted to be properly offended. Besides, he knows what he looks like, he saw his reflection in the shop window as he walked by.

The cashier smirks, obviously amused by Minseok's sad life. He turns to the pastry display and reaches in for a muffin. When he hands it to Minseok and gets a bewildered look in return, the smirk widens into a grin.

"Take it," the guy says, "it's on me. We've been told our muffins are really good. And also you look like you need some sugar in you before you pass out in front of my counter."

"Um, thanks." Minseok mumbles, reaching out to take it from the guy.

He takes a tentative nibble and his eyes widen. Saying that the muffins were really good was an understatement. They were more like bites of heaven in his mouth, warm soft chocolatey gooey bites of heaven.

The guy laughs at his expression and says, "I'll get started on your coffee then."

Five minutes later, the muffin has been devoured and Minseok is in possession of his coffee. He thanks the guy once more and heads out of the store. It takes him a full fifteen minutes after he's walked about two blocks away from the coffee shop before he realises he never paid for his coffee.

He curses under his breath, wondering if he should head back, but remembering that he has a class soon. He shakes his head, class is more important, he decides. He'll just head back another day and pay for it.

 

***

 

The next time he's back at the shop is a few days later, and the guy at the cashier is not the same one from before. When he heads to the counter, the new guy greets him cheerfully.

"Hi! What can I get you?"

"One iced americano, please."

"Sure, anything else?" The cashier smiles.

"Um, yeah..." Minseok wonders how he should phrase this. "the last time I was here, I forgot to pay for my coffee, and I guess the guy who was working forgot too... So can I pay for it now?"

"Oh," the guy flusters, "I don't really know what the protocol for that is supposed to be... Um, maybe I should get my manager?"

Minseok nods, and the guy scurries through the employees-only door to the back room. He returns with another young man in tow, it's still not the guy he met last week.

"Hi! Jongin here just explained to me what was going on. Do you remember who it was that served you last time?"

"I don't know his name," Minseok says, chewing his lip, "but he was kinda tall and skinny? Oh and he had really intense eyebrows."

"Hmm?" the manager hums, trying to figure out which of his employees matched that description. The guy that had taken his order, Jongin, whispers in the manager's ear. "Oh, yeah maybe. Could you go get him?"

Jongin scurries off once again, and this time returns with the guy from last week in tow. When he sees Minseok, his eyes widen in recognition.

"Sehun, did you serve this man last week?" the manager asks.

"Yeah?”

The manager smiles, and explains the situation to Sehun. When he hears that Minseok has returned in attempt to pay for last week’s coffee, he shakes his head.

“Don’t worry, it’s on me. You looked like you really needed it last week.” He smirks. Then he turns to the manager and mumbles, “You don’t need to worry either, I paid for it out of my own wallet.”

“Oh.” Minseok says dumbly, he doesn’t know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.

A silence stretches uncomfortably as no one can figure out what to say next, and Sehun rolls his eyes.

“Is there anything else? I’d like to get back to my break.” He says bluntly, raising an eyebrow at his manager.

“Oh, well, I guess you can go ahead.” The manager says, unsure and slightly stunned as he looks between Sehun and Minseok.

Sehun turns away and disappears to the back room, and Jongin shuffles away awkwardly to resume making Minseok’s americano.

“Does he give away drinks often?” Minseok asks the manager, for the first time noticing the nametag he wears that labels him as ‘Junmyeon’.

“Um no, I don’t think so.” Junmyeon frowns, “Or at least, this is the first I’ve heard of it. Sehun’s usually pretty cold to the customers.”

Minseok frowns too, and ponders the situation until Jongin calls for him with his order ready. With his coffee in hand, Minseok supposes that there’s no reason for him to linger here any longer, so he says goodbye to Jongin and Junmyeon and walks out, mind still filled with thoughts about strange Sehun.

 

***

 

He’s back at the café a few days later, and is faced with Sehun once again.

“Hey.” Sehun greets simply.

“Um hi..” Minseok isn’t sure how to react to Sehun, are they considered friends now?

“What do you want?” Minseok almost laughs at the cashier’s chilly attitude.

“What do you like?” Minseok asks.

Sehun raises an eyebrow, appraising Minseok, “I like the iced chocolate.”

“Then I’ll have an iced americano and an iced chocolate.” Minseok smiles.

Sehun smirks at that. “Are you trying to buy me a drink? From my own café?”

Minseok flusters. He was indeed trying to do that, he wanted to repay Sehun for the drink and muffin last time, but he hadn’t expected this cocky reaction.

“No thanks, I can get it for free. Employee perks.” Sehun says bluntly, sly smirk still on his face as he works on Minseok’s coffee.

When Sehun hands him a single cup with his coffee and no iced chocolate, Minseok doesn’t know what to say. He takes it dumbly and leaves.

This time, it takes him the entire trip home before he realises that he had forgotten to pay for his coffee yet again.

 

***

 

The next time he visits the café is a full week later, and he walks in full of determination. He has a take-out bag in one hand and a cup of bubble tea in another.

Its Jongin at the counter this time, and he smiles when he recognises Minseok.

“Is Sehun here?” Minseok asks before Jongin can ask for his order.

“Uh yeah, he just started his break in the back.” Jongin points towards the employees-only door.

“Could you get him please?” Minseok smiles, and Jongin obediently disappears behind the door.

Minseok heads for an empty table and sets the bags down. He sits and waits expectantly for the two boys to emerge from the back room.

When Jongin reappears with Sehun in tow, Sehun has an adorably confused look on his face. His eyes widen when he sees Minseok, and he approaches Minseok suspiciously.

“I brought you lunch.” Minseok presents his warmest, friendliest smile. He won’t take no for an answer this time.

Sehun blinks. Behind him, Jongin giggles quietly and heads back behind the counter, leaving the two alone.

Minseok takes out the food containers as Sehun slides into the chair opposite him. He had brought some tteokbokki and fried chicken, which he figured was a safe choice since everyone loves tteokbokki and fried chicken, right? He slides the cup of bubble tea towards Sehun.

“How’d you know I like bubble tea?” Sehun asks as he pokes his straw into the cup.

“I guessed.” Minseok grins, happy with the other’s approval. “Since you like iced chocolate, I figured you like sweet things.”

Sehun nods, pretending to examine the fried chicken as he hides a small smile.

 

***

 

Minseok comes in more and more regularly after that, staying longer each time. Sometimes he brings along his assignments and sits in a corner, typing away on his laptop as he waits for Sehun to finish his shift. Sometimes, when the café is relatively empty, he lingers by the counter and chats with Sehun or Jongin, or sometimes even Junmyeon.

He always brings in a cup of bubble tea for Sehun, and he starts bringing an extra cup for Jongin too when he noticed that Jongin would always ask for a sip of Sehun’s bubble tea. Jongin’s face lights up adorably the first time he realises that Minseok had brought him his very own cup. Minseok grins and reaches across the counter to ruffle Jongin’s hair as he happily sips up the boba.

Minseok never pays for his coffee.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i started this out intending to write sexiu/xiuhun, but then i kinda got sidetracked by cute jongin...
> 
> come say hi on twt @xiushine_


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